the project proposed is a small art museum in Charleston. the museum is approximately 20,000 square feet. it is located along one of the alleyways that marks the pedestrian paths of the city. the museum is lifted to keep the passage of the alley open for pedestrian traffic and also to provide a shaded courtyard of public use. because Charleston has a warm climate, and summers are extremely warm, shade is a welcomed use of public space. the entrance to the museum is a series of ramps that slowly progress the visitor into a total immersion into art by allowing slight views through glass panels, as the viewer moves through, glimpses of the city are countered by hinted moments of art.
the walls are designed specifically for art. art requires special, controlled lighting. therefore the walls of the galleries are designed with light pathways and light pauses. light pathways are slits at the ceilings and floors that bring light across these areas, wrapping around walls and marking the ceiling with specific shadows. light pauses are found at the places where occupants sit and intimately contemplate art and at window views of the surrounding city.
the proposed addition to the music school will extend its program further to the outreach of the urban realm. providing a concert and recital hall allows for the promotion of the arts into the community at a high level of perception and reception. the location of the pro-posed sight is accessible to the band hall and the current location of the music hall. it also extends itself to the edge of the architecture and fine arts facilities. the provides the opportunity for an archi-tectural conversation between the programs, pedestrians, and the coexistence and collaboration of creative fields and interactions. it also serves as the hinge between the historical and contemporary components of campus.
The building strives to bring an intimacy of sound and people within the performance space. The main performance space holds a maximum of 400 people. The seating area surrounds the stage area, allowing people and instruments to converse. the transitional area between other programmatic school, the architecture and fine arts buildings, strives to act as a gathering and passive egress along a main campus axis of travel. the entrance to the hall acts as a gallery to bring a collaboration between the arts.
